The April 2, 2007 episode of IFL Battleground was, strangely, a repeat of the March 19, 2007 episode. I’ve already given my thoughts on what an incredible fight raged between Palaszewski and Horodecki and what a fat load of malarkey the Schoenauer/Stark fight turned out to be. Therefore, I’m going to give my predictions for the upcoming April 7, 2007 fight in Moline, IL and we’ll see how I did next week.
The card for the Moline fight pits the Nevada Lions against defending champions the Quad City Silverbacks. Also on the card is the Chicago Red Bears against the Seattle Tiger Sharks.
First I’d like to point out my amusement that the weigh-ins, conducted the day before the fight, are being held at Hooters Bar & Grill. I don’t know why but it just strikes me as funny that a bunch of nearly—and often completely—naked men will step on the scale at a joint usually famous for its under-clad women.
Let’s start with the Red Bears vs. the Tiger Sharks.
Lightweights:
With a 6-1 pofessional record, this will be Mike Corey’s inaugural fight in the IFL for the Red Bears. The Tiger Sharks’ Shad Lierley made his professional MMA debut in the IFL against the Condors’ Adam Lynn in January where he also took his first professional win. Clearly, Corey is the more experienced fighter but then again so was Adam Lynn. I’m going with Lierley on this one. I find it hard to believe Lierley experienced beginner’s luck against Lynn and he’s already secured a win in the IFL.
Welterweights:
Red Bears’ Mark Miller debuted in the IFL with a 5-2 record but lost to Delson Heleno in February. Brad “Bad†Blackburn has experienced two wins and one loss in the IFL. My money is on Blackburn for this fight.
Middleweights:
Red Bears’ Chris Albandia has a slightly better professional record than Tiger Sharks’ Bristol Marunde. This fight will be Albandia’s IFL debut. This fight could be Marunde’s opportunity to redeem himself following his two IFL losses. I’m thinking Marunde wants it just a little bit more so I’m giving the win to him.
Light Heavyweights:
Homer Moore (Red Bears) has three more losses than Allan Goes. However, Moore also has 31 fights on his professional record to Goes’ 13. I anticipate Moore owning this fight but kudos to Goes for stepping up.
Heavyweights:
This appears to be a well-matched fight between Tiger Shark’s 5-1 Reese Andy and Red Bears’ 5-2 Adam Maciejewski. Andy has previous IFL experience but I’m going with Maciejewski on this one. Call it a feeling.
The anticipated battle of the evening will be the Nevada Lions against the Quad City Silverbacks. If the Silverbacks lose, they could very well be out of the running for the 2007 championship. The Lions, on the other hand, still need to prove themselves since their only team win so far was against Frank Shamrock’s dead last Razorclaws.
Lightweights:
I strongly believe this is one of the fights for which people are going to sit up and take notice. The Lion’s John Gunderson, despite only one win in the IFL, to date, is getting nearly as much attention as his opponent, Silverbacks’ Bart Palasziewski. Palasziewski has an impressive 25-8 record to Gunderson’s 14-3. Palasziewski is a strong striker while Gunderson is stronger on the ground. If Gunderson gets this fight to the ground, I give it to him…and he’s very good at getting the fight where he wants it.
Welterweights:
The Lion’s Pat Healy has more fights and more wins under his belt than does Rory Markham. Markham is a proven winner in the IFL but Healy has one of his own IFL wins and a good overall record. For the first time, I’m going to say this fight could go either way. I think there is a good chance Markham will underestimate his opponent, which would be a terrible mistake on his part.
Middleweights:
Silverbacks’ Ryan McGivern has three wins and three losses in the IFL. All his wins were by decision. His opponent, Daniel “The Heman†Molina lost his IFL debut but his overall professional wins are typically by submission. In other words, Molina is a finisher and McGivern is a decision seeker. Fight goes to the ground and Molina owns it.
Light Heavyweights:
Long-time Lion’s Den turned Nevada Lions’ Vernon White has a fiercely extensive record of 24-30-2 against Sam Hoger’s 6-3 record. Hoger is a decent fighter who is stepping in for the convalescing John Ciesnolevicz. White was unable to make his IFL debut with the rest of his team because his opponent was deemed too inexperienced. Without doubt, White has the experience; he’s sharper and faster than Hoger, and he’s more well-rounded. This fight means more to White than it does to Hoger because he’s his team’s captain. Hoger is a pinch hitter. I give this fight to Vernon White without a moment’s hesitation.
Heavyweights:
Now this will be a worthy fight to watch. Ben Rothwell is undefeated in the IFL. Technically, so is the Lion’s Roy Nelson. In fact, Nelson only has one loss by submission as a professional mixed martial artist. Nelson is a grappler but his first IFL win was secured by just beating the snot out of Vince Lucero until the fight was finally halted by the referee. Rothwell is a known striker but he’s not nearly as light on his feet. Again, this fight could really go either way. If the fight stays standing, it could easily go to Rothwell. However, if the fight goes to the ground, IFL fans may see Rothwell’s first loss in the league.
Overall, I see the Lions taking this. Pat Miletich is a great coach but they’ve got a lot of strikes against them. Ken Shamrock is a legend who has passed down phenomenal submission skills to his team. At the end of the day, I strongly believe the Nevada Lions have a good chance of actually sweeping this event.
